"And when affliction touches man"—meaning: the polytheist—"he calls upon Us on his side," that is: while he is lying on his side, "or sitting or standing." He says: Or he calls upon Us while standing or sitting. "But when We have removed from him his affliction, he continues"—that is, he passes by, turning away from Allah, Glorified and Majestic is He, who removed the affliction from him—"as if he had never called upon Us to remove an affliction that touched him."

Muhammad said: It has been said—and Allah knows best—that the meaning is: He continues in his state of well-being as he was before he was afflicted, and the meaning of "ka'an" (as if) is "ka'annahu" (as if he).